Writing: The Process of Discovery

Veerle Baaijen, University of Groningen

David Galbraith, Staffordshire University

Kees de Glopper, University of Groningen

Abstract

This paper describes the results of a study investigating the
process by which writers develop their understanding through writing. It argues
that, contrary to problem-solving models of writing, the crucial ingredient is
implicitly guided text production. Two groups of writers, varying in the extent
to which their writing is assumed to be directed towards rhetorical goals, were
asked to write either planned or non-planned texts. Key-stroke logs were
collected, and changes in subjective understanding about the topic were measured.
The results show that developments of understanding are strongly related to the
extent to which writers modify their texts during writing, and this is highest in
the conditions expected to promote implicitly guided text production. We conclude
that these findings support a dual-process model of writing.